by Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Sports

by Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Sports

The most expensive collection of baseball talent ever assembled will start the 2013 season missing one of its most crucial pieces.

Hanley Ramirez, whose July acquisition by the Los Angeles Dodgers was a harbinger of the club's unprecedented spending binge, needs surgery on his right thumb and will be sidelined up to two months, the team announced.

Ramirez suffered the injury playing for the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic, and that fact undoubtedly will re-heat debate about staging an international baseball competition during the otherwise lazy days of spring training.

But regardless of where Ramirez suffered the injury, the fact remains the Dodgers - projected payroll, $220 million - will be short-handed to begin the season.

And suddenly a star-studded team will have a rather pedestrian look on the infield. Outside of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the Dodgers will roll out Mark Ellis at second base, Gordon at shortstop, Luis Cruz at third base and A.J. Ellis behind the plate.